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For me, one of the pleasant side-effects to circuit bending with mono-speaker toys is the ability to leave the original speaker embedded in the device, while still having the option to amplify the device when you’re ready to rock out on stage or for an art installation. This means I can always hear the toy when I want to, without needing a full PA or powered speaker setup. But when I want audio amplification that’s also not a problem, just plug in your preferred audio jack (I’m a 1/4″ fan myself) and your low-voltage battery-powered toy is now a stadium-rocking instrument! This basic bending diagram shows how to wire up such a toy with a potentiometer and output jack, and was taken from Add Volume, Jack, part of our Weekend Projects series brought to you by RadioShack.

So bust out the soldering iron, find an old toy at a local thrift store, pick up some components from the Shack, and wire that puppy up! Don’t forget to send us pictures of your mods, especially since no two bent toys will be the same. And if at all possible send us some sample audio files, because I’d love to hear what you make this weekend.

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I’m an artist & maker. A lifelong biblioholic, and advocate for all-things geekathon. Home is Long Island City, Queens, which I consider the greatest place on Earth. 5-year former Resident of Flux Factory, co-organizer for World Maker Faire (NYC), and blogger all over the net. Howdy!